I'm back with another post on under recognized talent in the acting community. Sorry Ann Archer Fan, no girls this time! This time, I want to talk about a couple of actors you may actually not realize that you know.
Gary Cole is, hopefully, recognizable to most geeks. He plays Bill Lumbergh (sp?) in Office Space. “Ummm....yeeeeaaaaahhhhh....I'm just not sure about that right now.” Anyway, Gary plays on the new TNT show Wanted as a special unit lead police officer in Los Angeles. Still not convinced he's underappreciated? He also played the second Vice President Bob Russell on The West Wing. Bob Russell is from Montana or some other Rocky Mountain/Midwest state. Don't forget to checkout a really old show called American Gothic where Gary portrayed some sort of demonic sheriff. I really like Gary Cole and I truly enjoy watching his work. He is a very versatile actor and I appreciate his ability to bring uniqueness to each of his characters.
Nick Chinlund quickly became another favorite of mine. I first saw him in The Chronicles of Riddick. He plays a mercenary named Tooms and is really a bad mo fo (hey watch yo' mouth). He also plays a Navy SEAL on Tears of the Sun. I liked him as Chief of the Boat in Below. Finally, I saw him play a suave business man trying to get a date with Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. It's really amazing to see the differences between his roles in Riddick and Gilmore Girls. He is really versatile and, like Gary Cole, I really really appreciate his ability to bring the same confidence to each of his characters and yet subdue it in one while exposing it in another.
Thanks Nick and Gary for making excellent contributions to the acting profession! I look forward to your future works!